Sketches
by sporkness
Summary: [HIATUS!][sormine][akuroku] Days seemed so much longer without him around. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if he did come around. She discovered promises. He made one.
1. Greetings

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch I** (Greetings)

Days seemed so much longer without him around. Sometimes she wondered what would happen if he did come around. She discovered promises. He made one.

She let out a sigh. Namine was in the middle of an artist block, for she couldn't put her pencil down on the paper. Her hand wouldn't move the way she wanted it to. Thus a sigh. The sun was setting. Would he come today? Probably not. He probably didn't discover Twilight Town yet.

It'll be his downfall soon. That's what Marluxia had told her. Goody-good guys like Sora usually ended up creating their own hole to fall into. Namine somewhat believed Marluxia. He only seldom lied.

Another sigh. She looked out her window. He will come. Or so she thought. She was convincing herself, trying to make the pain go away; she wanted him to come. She needed him to come. She needed Sora.

Closing her eyes, Namine released a tired breath. She had now wished she controlled time as well, and maybe she could've turned the clock's hands til the moment Sora opened the door to her room. How she wished for such a fantasy to become reality.

And just then. A blur, was it? Her voice formed a quiet gasp.

There. Her eyes moistened. There, in a fighting stance, rushing his way through Nobodies, stood the one she had been so achingly waited for.

"Sora."

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**A/N**: Well, my first Sormine fic. Not very good, but since I love the pairing so much, I want to try to finish it. Review please :D


	2. Afternoons

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters. 

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch II** (Afternoons)

"Sora."

She got up from her lonely chair and slowly trotted towards her window. There he was. It wasn't an illusion. Or was it? She didn't know what to think. All she could do at that moment was wait. And that was what she'd perfected.

"He's...here? Is this real? I just can't believe..." Her thoughts lingered at that line. Belief. Was that an emotion she could feel? She didn't know. But something was prodding at her made-up heart that made her "believe".

But that didn't matter. All that was important was that Sora was here. She watched him fight off the Nobodies, and each Dusk whisking away into nothingness as he swung the Keyblade expertly. She smiled a bit. It seemed that Sora had somewhat perfected the use of the Keyblade, but didn't reach its full potential. Namine noticed that Sora's two friends, Donald and Goofy, had not accompanied him on his journey to the mansion, but she concluded that they had separated; it had been some time before their last adventure. She closed her eyes.

It would all be a matter of time. The time for Sora's memories to gather and become whole again.

Sora finished his battle. The Nobodies were done with, and he continued his way through the garden and reached the mansion door. There, Namine couldn't see him anymore, so she seated herself down on her white chair and picked up her worn out sketchbook, turning to a new page.

"Just a few more minutes..." she sighed.

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Letting out an exasperated sigh, Sora stopped in front of the decorated mansion door. All the way from the entrance to Twilight Town to the haunted mansion, streams of Nobodies were lined up, all prepared to face the Keyblade master. It really got on his nerves, but he fought them anyway. He slightly grinned; kinda sucks being the wielder of the Keyblade now, huh?

Nevertheless, the Nobodies were done with; his escapade led him to his destination: the supposed "haunted mansion". It was funny, while he heard from Leon and the others the the inhabitants of Twilight Town avoided the mansion whenever they could. However, when Sora arrived at the town, he found no one. The shops were empty, and the streets deserted. Wondering what could've happened, he decided that the mansion had something to do with it. Thus, he journey to the cursed building. Unfortunately, hundreds of Nobodies blocked his path, and he was forced to fight his way through.

"Well, I'm here now at least. Heh, it would've been a lot easier with Donald and Goofy." he laughed. He missed his friends, but of course, duties and obligations would eventually threaten their journeys together. He smilied as a few flashbacks crossed his eyes.

But they were gone now, and Sora was a big boy; he'd have to fight his battles himself. He closed his eyes.

"Well then, I guess I should get started exploring this "haunted mansion" then!" he grinned, opening his eyes. Using a gloved hand to give the door a push, Sora stepped into the mansion.

Stepping into the grungy room and shutting the door behind him, Sora examined his surroundings. A faint light seeped through partially boarded up windows, and the gray floor was sprinkled with age old dust. Adjusting to the sudden darkness, Sora blinked his eyes. With Keyblade in hand, he took a step, expecting a swarm of Dusks to approach him.

There was nothing.

Loosening his guard a bit, Sora dropped his arm to his side, grateful for the temporary safety. Continuing his stride, he approached a glass case, which housed a crumbling sculpture of a castle. Lightly resting his fingers on the case, Sora frowned.

"A broken statue? This mansion must be _really_ old if it's falling apart like this..."

Taking a step back, Sora took another look around the room he was in. It was definitely apparant that the building had been abandoned for a few years, and he frowned at the neglect. Shaking his head, he began his exploration.

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"He's coming."

She breathed, trying to calm herself down. Namine was previously deciding whether to hide herself in invisible shrouds, and reappear at the right moment; when Sora stepped into the room. But she chose otherwise. She would sit there, like she always had, and glance up at the "unexpected" visitor. She lowered her eyes, dark azures resting upon her finished sketch. A sudden thought crossed her mind.

Would he remember?

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He had just finished visiting the library, where Sora saw an unusual table and shelves of foreign pages. The walk to the opposite side of the second floor began.

"Geez, this place is so _gloomy_! Hard to believe people used to live here. Such a drag..." Sora let out a fatigued sigh. Leon had promised him a worthwhile mystery while searching the mansion. Yet, so far, all Sora found were dull, empty rooms. He only hoped that the remaining room would spark some interest.

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She began to panic. If he hadn't fully "awakened", then their meeting would overwrite his original memories; her chain of mended memories. Then all of Sora's past would be erased forever.

"No...no, he would've - he should've - regained his memories by now. It's been more than enough time..."

Namine gripped her pencil, and her eyes started to moisten.

"This isn't happe..."

The door opened.

"...ning..."

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**A/N**: There ya go, chapter 2. Hope everyone liked it! Now, these are all basically filler chapters that are leading up to the plot. So, I hope you don't get too bored and stick with me! Don't forget to review:)


	3. White Lilies

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters. 

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch III** (White Lilies)

Sora had reached the door of the remaining room, still hoping that there would be something interesting.

He got his wish.

There, sitting in a dirty white chair, was a girl. Her features were pale and ghostlike, and her pale bronze hair framed her face. A simple cream white dress sat on her somewhat petite shoulders. Her whole being seemed to emit a fragile yet dangerous feeling.

But what mesmerized Sora was the girl's eyes. Dark, deep blue azure eyes, almost like jewels themselves, stared at him with an almost...panicked look. Sora stood speechless, and the girl remained unmoving.

But why did she seem so... "Ah." he let out a gasp of recognition.

The girl flinched, and her eyes shut tight.

A whimper.

"Nami.."

"No!"

Sora let out a gasp, and took a startled step back. He hadn't expected the seemingly quiet girl to let out such a scream. Blinking his eyes, Sora tried again to speak the name that had almost escaped his lips.

"Namin--"

"I said no! Don't say it...you're not supposed to remember me. You're even awake, so why...?"

"'Awake'? What do you mean...why can't I say your name...?"

"Because!" Namine stuttered. "because…you're not..."

She was at a loss. The world around her suddenly seemed so new, like she was a newborn child, helpless. Now, heavy, crystal-clear drops of water feel from her eyes.

She was crying.

Crying? Even with the lack of a real heart, emotions were born and flooding within her. She didn't even know what she was feeling. Sorrow, hatred, happiness, embarrassment, envy; Namine was feeling every emotion out there.

She hated it.

"How is it possible? I mended everything so carefully, every piece of memory there was. Maybe I did something wrong...?"

Sora stared at the tortured girl, wondering what on earth was happening. But what bothered him was...the girl was so achingly familiar; he even knew her name! Was it possible that she was the girl that reminded him of...

"Well," the girl said, brushing the tears away from her eyes, "do you...know me?" She asked the question, hiding the pain she was feeling inside. She didn't want the answer, but something told that she had to ask the question. Namine didn't have the heart - quite literally - to look up at the older boy's face, afraid of what his expression might be.

"Do you...remember Castle Oblivion?" She saw Sora's face light up with recognition.

He still remembered. Everything.

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Sora mentally gasped as the young girl spoke of Castle Oblivion. He had remembered going to such a place, where he had first confronted Organization XIII. It was also the place where he met this girl...right? His mind was fuzzy, and Sora struggled with himself, forcing himself to remember more.

"Castle Oblivion…wasn't that where I met you?"

She wanted to fade away.

"And that's where I met those people in black, Organization XIII!"

Fade away into nothing.

"Isn't that when you…what was it…there was a huge spiky thing. Almost like…"

She was a caged bird, and she wanted to be free. She wanted to fly away into nothingness.

"…a cage? And then, after that-"

"No more! Don't say anything more! I don't want to hear it! What did I do wrong? You were supposed to forget! Forget everything! You're not supposed to know about Castle Oblivion, the Organization, the cage, or me! But why…why do you remember? You feel asleep, I saw you! I was there the whole time, giving you all your original memories back, overwriting the new ones from the castle. So why…!"

By now, Namine was heavily sobbing, her trembling shoulders hunched, and her worn out sketchbook clutched in her chest. Sora didn't know what to do for the poor girl, but only took a step forward. She didn't notice the advancements of Sora, and remained in her self torture.

He brushed his fingers slightly through her bangs, and she flinched.

"Go away…"

He didn't answer. Kneeling down, Sora slowly moved his hand from her bangs to her cheek, then to her chin. He gently lifted the crying girl's head, and the two locked stares; dark, bloodshot azures staring back at warm sky blues.

"Hey now, don't cry! You're not suited for such a sad thing! Wanna know what I don't remember? That you cried. So, I don't want to see you crying now, got it?" he grinned. Oh, how the smile of his pierced her soul with such pain, and yet such happiness.

"But...it's not supposed to be-"

"That doesn't matter! I'm glad I get to see you again. Hey, you're worried about me forgetting everything before the castle? Well, don't; I haven't forgotten anything. So...don't cry, okay?" Somehow, Namine picked up a note of sadness is Sora's words. Now she really hated herself.

"Still...um, Sora?"

"Yeah?" Sora dropped his hand from Namine's chin, and now looked intently in her eyes.

"Do you remember Kairi?"

"Kairi? Of course! I could never forget her, like I can never forget you!" he grinned again, and Namine faintly smiled at the boy's childish ways. However, her smile faded away as quickly as it came.

"Really? Then...something _must_ be wrong. You aren't supposed to remember anything that happened in Castle Oblivion. But somehow, you overcame the power of time..."

"Hey hey hey! No technical stuff, 'kay? Is it _really_ that bad if I remember you? I mean, don't you want me to remember you?"

She smiled.

"Oh, Sora..."

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**A/N**: There, chapter 3. Hope everyone liked it! Again, these are all basically filler chapters that are leading up to the main plot. So, I hope you don't get too bored and stick with me! Don't forget to review:)


	4. Wishing Well

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters. 

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch IV** (Wishing Well)

Sora looked up when the young girl in front of him spoke his name. Somehow, he felt a sort of pinch in his heart whenever she spoke, and he wondered why.

"So...can I say your name now?" The boy flashed a grin at Namine, and pulled at her hands. Now, the two persons were standing up, and Namine had to tilt her head up to gaze into the older boy's eyes.

"...Yes."

"Great! Now then, Namine..."

She flinched.

"...let's get you outta here."

She blinked, and loosened her grip on Sora's gloved hands. "'Get...get out' But I can't lea-"

"No way I'm leaving a girl in a place like this all by herself! Didn't you know this mansion's supposed to be haunted? Now c'mon!" He tugged at her hands, and Namine smiled at his gullible ways.

"Okay, but--"

"Namine!"

Both Sora and Namine turned around, and found a dark entryway forming in front of him, revealing a black-clothed individual. Sora instinctively stepped protectively in front of Namine, but Namine only stood still with a horrified look on her face.

"No..."

"Someone's been a bad girl!" the figure taunted, and pulled down a hood that hid his face. At once, Sora recognized the thorn-like strands of blood-colored hair, and the piercing emerald eyes that glared back at him. He was at a loss for words.

"_Axel_...! You...you're alive!"

The redhead blinked, and lowered his guard by slouching a bit. "Eh? What's this? You...remember me?" His eyes immediately focused on the trembling young blonde behind Sora, and his eyebrows raised.

"Princess...?" Axel questioned, a look of confusion spreading on his face. "Didn't the memory switch work?"

Namine shut her eyes tight.

Axel took a look at Namine, then turned his gaze to Sora, somewhat grinning. "Thought you finished me off? Ha! There's only one person that can beat me, and sorry kid, but that ain't you!"

Strengthening his guard by summoning the Keyblade, Sora stood in a battle stance, furious at the redhead's words, and at himself for his past careless actions.

"Axel!" Sora growled, aiming his Keyblade towards the taller man and taking a step forward. "If you're here for Namine, you gotta get through me first! And don't underestimate me, I'm a lot different from the last time we fought! This time, I'll be sure to destroy you!" Angry sky blue eyes locked with those of emerald color.

Axel, now crossing his arms across his chest, stared at the hostile brunet. "Hey now, I'm not here to fight anyone, '_specially_ not you!" His gaze shifted back to Namine. "Princess...did something go wrong...?"

Namine, by now, was shedding her share of tears, wanting to be somewhere else. She didn't want Axel to be here, and Sora wasn't helping. She didn't know what to do anymore.

She didn't want to be a caged bird anymore.

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Somewhat believing the amiable actions of Axel, Sora sheathed his weapon and stood straight, but still in a protective stance for the sake of Namine. He set his glare towards Axel, trying to figure out the secrets past those green eyes.

Axel, noticing the younger boy's anger, smirked.

"Hey now, no need for the angry face, kid. Didn't I say I wasn't here for a fight?"

Sora's lips remained in a set frown, still unconvinced about Axel's actions. He decided it was about time to question the older man's reasons for being at the mansion.

"Axel...if you aren't here to fight me, then why are you here? And if it's to take Namine--!"

"_Relax_. Geez, you're even worse than _him_." Axel let out a perfect drawl, uninterested in Sora's questions. Glancing at Namine, he saw that she letting out slow tears, and sighed.

"Okay, look. Just to let you know...I'm not with the Organization anymore." Noticing the surprised looks on both Sora's and Namine's faces, he continued. "Well, they still think I am, but I'm not. Kinda. It's a bit complicated, but all in all, you can trust me. So you got nothing to worry about, 'k? I'm not here to fight, and I'm not here to steal Nami!" The redhead finished with a grin, his arms crossed against his chest.

Sora, being clueless about such difficult matters, wore a confused expression, while Namine stared at Axel with widened eyes.

"You...you mean..."

Axel, realizing the question, cut her off, "Yeah. He's here." His eyes darkened, coloring his eyes a sad monochrome shade.

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The rain started to fall, and the young man unfortunate enough to be outside at such a time looked up at the grey sky. Ice cold raindrops framed his rough face, and his dark eyes. His lips parted to form soundless words.

"_An angel has fallen_..."

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**A/N**: There, chapter 4! I'm sorry it's so short (it's hard to write long chapters), but I hope everyone liked it! I'm gonna start developing the main plot now, so stick with me!

Yeah, here's come XIII, yay:D I was tempted to use "The XIII Order", but most people are familiar with the USA name (Organization XIII), so I used that instead :)

Ah, and by the way. Updates might be a bit slower from now on, as finals are coming up and school's being a bitch. I will keep updating, no worries about that, but just not so often.

And for those who didn't get the last paragraph: I read a theory saying that when it's starts raining, the raindrops are the heaven's tears because an angel has just died/fallen. :)

Thank you for the lovely reviews! hugs you all


	5. Vîtam Agô

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters. 

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch V** (Vîtam Agô)

The rain continued to fall, but the young man walked along the curb, ignoring the stinging drops of crystal. If someone took the chance to glance about the road, they would see a cloaked individual, short in height, and looking straight ahead with blinding blue eyes and a dead set frown. Of course, the road was empty, and no one would rather take a stroll in freezing rain.

However, the youth only ignored the rain, allowing it to frame his young, round face, and harden his light strands of hair. Looking up, the boy's stoic sapphire eyes focused on the sight in front of him.

"So, _this_ is Twilight Town," said the boy, senselessly wiping his eyes clear of rainwater. Tightening his grip on his coat to cover his body, the boy continued his walk towards the dark abyss of what was a seemingly peaceful town.

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The buildings were lined together, forming groups of lines around the square. However, the ground was deserted, and the boy's footsteps were hollow and eerie. Quickly scanning the area, the boy began to walk further into the town, determined to find what lead him there.

Suddenly, only a few feet away from the boy, sprung hundreds of white, deformed beings (A/N: Dusks, but he doesn't know that). Startled, the boy stopped in his tracks and put up his arms in defense.

"What the!" the boy growled to himself, eying the unfamiliar beings before him. This was going to be a long day...

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Grabbing Namine's hand, Sora had decided to ignore Axel and run away. Glancing at the door, Sora made a run of it, Axel intently letting him slide; Sora saw.

Namine, dried tears decorating her face, quickly tried to snap out of it and follow in Sora's steps, taking a moment to catch the gleam in the emerald eyes of the Nobody. She also saw the man's lips curve up into a smirk.

Rushing down the curving stairs, Sora and Namine ran through the clutter of ruin to the main entrance. However, upon reaching the outside garden, the two runaways were confronted with a mob of Dusks. Halting to a sudden stop, Sora held Namine behind him with one hand, summoning the Keyblade with the other.

"You gonna protect the girl and fight? I'd like to see that!" A familiar voice echoed behind the two, and Namine turned her head to find the owner of said voice watching them. With a twinkle in his eye, Axel grinned at them, waiting for Sora to make a move.

Sora, however, only stared ahead, watching the Nobodies with intent. Namine heard him speak.

"I've protected someone before while fighting Heartless. Nobodies shouldn't be a problem!" With that said, Sora, taking a final glance at Namine, charged forward with a powerful thrust of the Keyblade. Namine covered a gasp with her hands, and Axel managed a expression of surprise.

Sora had taken out the first few rows of Nobodies with one swing. Namine took a petit step forward, but Axel put a look of disturbance on his face.

'When did he get so strong...? It is really because of--'

"Namine!"

Axel's thoughts were interrupted as Sora, having finished off the Nobody swarm, grabbed Namine's hand again, and began running towards the woods. Slowly walking up to the mansion's rusted iron gates, Axel watched the outlines of the two figures fade away into darkness.

"Won't be long now..."

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The rain had finally stopped falling from the darkening skies, just as the young boy watched the white beings flee from him. He was grateful, as he was stuck on how to fight off the deformed creatures.

"What _were_ those things...? Well, doesn't matter now, since they're all gone. Now..." The boy had almost taken his first step forward when he heard footsteps approaching from the distance. Two pairs of footsteps, the boy figured. He stopped and waited to see who it was, putting his hands up in the case of enemies.

However, what he saw were not more white beings, nor was it more enemies. What he saw was a boy and girl.

"_C'mon_, Namine!"

"I'm trying, Sora! You run too fast!"

The one called 'Sora' looked forward and saw the young boy standing a few feet away. He abruptly stopped, causing the girl he was dragging to almost crash into him. Sora stared into the bright blue eyes of the opposing figure, wondering who he was. Namine, however, noticing the boy, widened her eyes, and she let out a gasp.

The boy, putting his arms down, took a cautious step forward. Sora instinctively moved in front of Namine in a protective stance.

"Who...who _are_ you?"

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**A/N**: There, chapter 5! I'm so sorry it took so long, and I'm sorry it's short! Finals are in less than two weeks, so I gotta study ;; So, don't expect chapter 6 to up soon DDD:

The chapter title "Vîtam Agô" is Latin for "live a life". I couldn't find characters with a macron (¯) over them, so yeah :D;;

Thank you for the lovely reviews!


	6. Acquaintance

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters. 

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch VI** (Acquaintance)

After running away from Axel, Sora and Namine met up with another obstacle. A strange blonde haired boy stood some feet away from them, looking nervously at the two individuals before him. Sora, worried that the boy might be another enemy, stood in front of Namine with his arm out, defining his protective purpose. A frown was dead set on his face, and his brow lowered at his possible foe.

However, the blonde haired didn't seem to be an enemy, for he had asked for their names.

"Who...Who are you?"

Sora blinked, and his face softened to a 'what?' look. He didn't know them? Then he wasn't an enemy! Sora smiled at the thought of a new friend, but took a cautious step forward.

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Namine looked the blonde haired boy with wide eyes. She knew who he was. She knew he would be here soon. But why now? She stepped forward, lightly taking Sora's hand.

"Sora...he's not an enemy. He's..." Namine stumbled with her words, and Sora looked at her with worry.

"Hey, it's okay! Since he's not a bad guy, maybe he can help us escape!" Sora turned back to the young boy, who now had a confused look on his face.

"Uh...I don't know what's going here, but...Could you please tell me who you are?" The boy's face suddenly changed to a look of pain, and Sora took note if it.

'Why does he look so sad?'

"I'm...I'm looking for someone. And I'm wondering if--"

"He's back there."

The boy looked surprised, and stared at Namine. Did she really just say that? Was he really here?

"He's really--"

"Back at the mansion. But he might've left already..." Namine didn't finish her sentence, as the boy quickly ran past them in the direction Sora and Namine came from. Sora, having been startled and confused, looked back at the running figure. He could no longer be seen; he had already got to the woods.

"Wait...what? What just happened!" Sora was horribly confused, and Namine had to laugh at the boy's desperate state.

"He was...nobody. C'mon, we have to go, right?" Naminesmilied warmlyat Sora, and Sora grinned back.

"Well, as long as he isn't a threat to us, he's fine. Now, let's go!" Sora, gently taking Namine's hand, started to pull her forward. This time, he made sure Namine could keep up.

She smiled.

'I hope...he finds him...'

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He was out of breath by the time he reached the mansion. He slouched, panted heavily. After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, the boy looked up at the mansion.

"He's...here?" The blonde watched the old mansion with intent, hoping for his wish to come true. Taking what the girl he met had said before into consideration, he quickly ran to mansion, ripping the doors open.

'Please be here!'

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"Hmph. Silly girl"

Axel had returned to the white room, where he previously encountered Sora and Namine. He'd remembered the decorations on the walls, and decided to take a look at them.

A pained smile spread across his face as Axel glanced at one particular drawing. It was of himself and his best friend.

Roxas.

He flinched when the name crossed his mind, and Axel looked away. Why did she have to draw that? It was quite embarrassing. A quiet laugh escaped his throat, and Axel closed his eyes and faintly grinned. Namine saw their friendship and encased it in art, silly girl.

His smile formed into a frown, and his opened his eyes to wander from Namine's sketches to the white door.

He heard footsteps.

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The young blonde found himself among a pile of rubble. The main floor of the mansion was left abandoned so much that it looked almost decayed. It definitely wasn't what he had expected.

"Is he really in a place like _this_? Kinda hard to imagine..." The boy slowly wandered into the room, heading for the right staircase. He glanced at the glass case housing a crumbling statue of some sort, but he ignored it. He knew he didn't have enough time.

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"_Burn_," he breathed.

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He had just reached the top of the staircase when he smelled something peculiar. What was it? He walked slowly down the hall; it was coming from the room on the left. Why was it so familiar?

Fire.

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**A/N**: There, chapter 6! I'm soooooooo sorry it's so short, but finals are in a week, and I have to cram like hell DDD: But I managed to add some Akuroku! 3 And just to let everyone know, there is no such thing as time is this story! 8DDD Kidding; what I mean is that this story is completely different from KH2, but still refers to it (eg, the mansion and TTown's Nobodies). Just thought I should bring that up so no one would say "Hey, that could never happened in the game!" :D

If you want more, **REVIEW**! It helps me write :33


	7. Travel

This fic is based on CoM and/or II. Beware of possible spoilers in later chapters. 

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and characters belong to Square Enix and Tetsuya Nomura.

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**Sketch VII** (Travel)

It had begun to rain again.

"Sora..."

"You cold?"

Namine motioned a slight nod, and Sora answered by giving her his jacket. The jacket caressed Namine's small shoulders, and Sora weakly smiled at her miniature posture. He looked up at the darkening sky, cold raindrops falling on his face. Pulling Namine closer to him, the two began to walk.

"Sora...where are we going?" Namine questioned, looking up at the taller figure with shuddering eyes. Sora didn't look down.

"The gummi ship is just down the road. We'll get you on, and then...well, where do you wanna go? I'm sure you haven't even been out of this place!" He didn't mean it in an insulting way, but Namine looked down anyway. It was true; all her non-existent life, she'd been locked up in that white room. Her superiors only wanted her to work with Sora's memories.

It seems that she hadn't fulfilled her duty.

"How about…another town. Surely there's another world like Twilight Town, right?"

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"Is that…fire!" The blonde ran quickly towards the room, where smoke seeped through the bottom of the door. Grabbing the knob, the boy winced. The handle was unusually hot. Ignoring the burning pain in his hand, he turned the knob and pushed the door open.

"Hmm?"

The smoke that was locked up in the room now escaped through the open door, clouding the boy's vision. Waving his arm carelessly in the air as an attempt to whisk the smoke away, the boy searched for the speaker.

"Wha…?" The speaker turned around completely and stared at the boy. By then, the smoke and started to fade away, and the boy's vision cleared. Looking ahead, the boy saw a tall, cloaked figure standing across the room. Switching his gaze, the boy inspected the room. As the smoke cleared, he saw burned papers plastered the ash burdened floor. However, there was one paper in the middle of the room, on a pure white table. The boy didn't bother to ponder why neither the paper nor table burned in the fire. Instead, he turned his glare back to the cloaked figure. Why did he burn the room?

"Roxas?"

The boy, taken aback at the sudden addressee, stepped back. What was that? Did he just say his name?

"Roxas…? Is it really…" The figure unveiled his black hood, revealing vibrant fire red hair, and sharp green eyes, tattoos decorating his face. The boy's eyes widened, and his lips parted.

"..._Axel_!"

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"This is Traverse Town?"

"Yeah! It's the first world I've traveled to. It's a great place, and the people living there are really nice!"

Sora had decided to take Namine to Traverse Town. He smiled as he looked around the First District, old memories flooding his mind. This was the town where everything started.

"Sora?"

Blinking, Sora turned to Namine, who looked at him with a questionable look. He grinned and grabbed her hand.

"Well then, how about I show you around?"

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They had walked through the First, Second, and Third Districts, and Sora introduced Namine to a new world. Every time he saw that small face light up, Sora's heart leaped. He was glad that he released Namine from her secluded home, and that he could show her a brand new environment. He was also glad that he could spend more time with her.

"Are there other worlds we can see, Sora?" Namine asked, loosening her hold on Sora's hand. She released her grip and turned to face him, a small smile on her face. Sora lightly blushed, seeing the girl's apparent happiness.

"If you want to see them, I'd be glad to show you around!" Sora grinned, and Namine laughed.

"Well, okay then! But Sora..." Namine stopped mid sentence, looking down at her feet. Sora took a step closer to her and frowned.

"Yeah? What's wrong?"

Namine lifted her head, a gaze over her pale blue eyes. "Well, after we see everything...I have to go back."

Sora stepped back, startled. He didn't expect Namine to even be thinking about Twilight Town, and here she was saying that she had to go back! Troubled, he managed a small smile.

"Go back...? You don't mean that, right? You know how horrible that place is! You can't go back, I won't allow it!" Sora raised her voice, causing Namine to flinch. She once more looked away.

"But Sora...if I don't go back, _they're_ going to find out and..." Namine stopped again, shutting her eyes closed. She knew that if she didn't go back to Twilight Town, something terrible would definitely fall upon Sora and his friends. Just like before.

"'They'? ...Namine!" Sora yelled, lowering his head to look down at Namine. She only looked away, unwilling to face Sora. It was bad enough the he remembered everything he was supposed to forget. She didn't want him to learn anything new. She closed her eyes.

"Namine. Hey, are you...crying?" Sora spoke softly, bending his knees to take a better look at Namine's face. Her pale colored bangs hid her eyes, and a trail of water slid down her cheek. Sora, worried that he might have done something wrong, slowly lifted his hand to Namine's face. Skin met skin, and Namine let out a gasp as Sora's slender fingers graced her cheek.

"Hey now. It's okay, don't cry. I'm sorry if I've done anything wrong, okay? So don't cry." Sora's voice reached Namine's ears, and she managed a bitter smile. Her hand traveled to touch Sora's, and she lightly grasped it.

"Thank you, Sora."

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**A/N**: Chapter 7, up! Summer is finally here, so I'll try my best to get more chapters in. I'm starting to progress with the plot here, so look forward to it!

If you want more, **REVIEW**! The next chapter will not be posted until I get 21 reviews! And besides, it helps me write :D


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